Internal cushion for boots and shoes.



J RAMSAY. f INTERNAL ousmon FOR BOOTS AND SHOES APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16-, 1908.

. Patented Mar. 9, 1909..

THE NORRIS PETERS ca, WASHINGTDN. n, I:v

UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN RAMSAY, OF SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

INTERNAL CUSHION FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN RAMsAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 9 lVylde street, Potts Point, Sydney, in the State of New South Wales and Commonwealth of Australia, parliamentary shorthand reporter, have invented a new and useful Improved Internal Cushion for Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a pneumatic cushion for use in boots and shoes in order to the giving of comfort to the wearer in walking and to persons who are obliged to stand for long periods of time.

Heretofore proposals have been made for the employment of a hollow cushion or pad within the interior of boots and shoes but so far they have not been altogether successful inasmuch as in some cases it is necessary to supply air under pressure and in other cases they are so made that ridges or solid materials are met with by the foot or heel when compressing the cushion.

Now my invention has been devised in order to obviate these disadvantages and produce a comfortable cushion and one that will be satisfactory to the most fastidious user.

This improved internal hollow cushion for boots and shoes according to my invention consists essentially of a closed wedgeshaped hollow rubber or elastic pad under the heel of the foot and above this pad a sole piece of stiff material so that the pressure or weight of the foot will not be taken by the Wedge pad alone but will be distributed right throug out the same hollow and solid parts alike by means of the said stiff sole piece. The wedge pad being closed is full of air (being therefore pneumatic) and is attached to the top piece or sole by any adhesive ma terial. The shapes of the pad and the sole piece are such that they will comfortably fit within the wall of the boot or shoe in which they may be removably placed the wedge pad taking closely and comfortably within the heel of the boot or shoe. Preferably the wedge pad has a coating of canvas or other material on its under surface to mini mize wear. The sole piece extends from the back of the wedge ad and is made as short as possible but of such a length that the pressure of the ball joints of the toes will always be upon the forward end of said sole Iatented March 9, 1909.

Serial No. 421,57.

I piece but so as to save as much as possible of the material of said sole and as a matter of taste said sole is cut away so as to provide for the pressure of the ball joint of either of the great or the little toe. The wedge pad is made of the best of india rubber vulcanized or otherwise while the sole piece may be made of wood celluloid papier niach still"- ened leather or other stiff but slightly flexible or rather resilient material but preferably as the cheapest suitable material of vulcanized fiber. This sole piece may be flat or it may be molded to the under sur face contour of the foot. But in order to carried out in practice it will be now described with reference to the drawings here with in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boot complete containing this improved internal cushion. Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective of the whole cushion complete. Fig. 3 shows shapes of right and left sole pieces.

The closed wedge shaped pad 5 has walls 6 inclosing the hollow space 7 for containing the air which is compressed by the weight of the wearer and rises pneumatically upon the raising of the foot from the ground. On the bottom 8 of this pad is a wearing-strip 9 of canvas or other material though this lining 9 is not an essential. On the top of the pad 5 and preferably afiixed to it is the sole piece 11 of stiff though slightly resilient material. In Fig. 3 these top sole pieces right and left are shown as extending right forwardly of the foot with the part 12 to take under the ball joints of the toes.

In practice the wedge pads 5 and the sole pieces 11 are made to conform to the shape and size of the boot or shoe so that said wedge pad 5 will be right up against the back wall of the heel or counter and the utility of the sole piece 11 is that the weight of the wearer is evenly distributed over the pad 5 and a grateful resilient effect produced. and that a smooth surface by reason of its stiffness is always under the foot and no ridges or excl-escences can incommode the heel or sole of the foot at all and the pressure of the ball joint of the toes on the forward end will prevent the wedge pad working forward.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is illustrate how this invention may be best A pneumatic cushion for boots and shoes extending backward from said extremity, as comprising a closed Wedge shaped hollow I and for the purpose set forth. rubber pad 5, having Walls 6 inclosing the in- In testimony whereof I have signed 1ny terior chamber 7, a Wearing strip 9 on the name to this specification in the presence of 5 bottom of said pad and a sole piece 11 aflixed two subscribing Witnesses.

to the upper surface of the pad and compris- T ing a rigid plate with a forwardly and later- JOHN RAMSAE' ally projecting rounded extremity 12 adapted WVitnesses:

to fit under the ball joint of the toes, the sole FRED WALSH,

10 piece being cut-away in a diagonal direction PERCY N EWELL. 

